John 10:1-10 for Sunday, April 13, 2008

Translation:

(1)Truly, truly I say to you, the one who does not come through the gate into the sheepfold, but comes up another way is a thief and a robber.  (2)But the one who comes through the gate is a shepherd of the sheep.  (3)The gatekeeper opens the gate and the sheep hear his voice and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  (4)When he has brought out all his own, he goes in front of them and the sheep follow him because they have known his voice. (5)But they will never ever follow a stranger, but they will run away from him because they have not known the voice of a stranger."  (6)Jesus said this figure of speech to them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.  (7)Therefore, Jesus said again, "Truly, truly I say to you that I am the gate for the sheep.  (8)Everyone who came before me is a thief and a robber, but the sheep did not listen to them.  (9)I am the gate, whoever enters through me will be saved and will come in and go out and will find pasture.  (10)The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy.  I came in order that they may have life and have it abundantly.

This is a complicated story.  It is no wonder that no one understood Jesus the first time he told it.  It is hard to understand on one telling and I encourage you to read it several times, in many different translations so that you can try to understand it too.

I think what is at the center of this story is a warning about who (and what) we choose to follow.  Jesus gives us this imagery of sheep and a shepherd.  The shepherd herds the sheep and keeps them safe.  At night, a shepherd puts the sheep in a sheepfold so that they cannot wander off in the dark of night where many dangerous scenarios lurk.  We may want to jump at thinking of Jesus as the shepherd, or the one who cares for us (the sheep), ensuring our safety.  However, Jesus says explicitly "I am the gate." 

Jesus is both the gate for the sheep and the gate for the shepherd.  Those sheep that enter through the gate (Jesus) will be protected by the sheepfold, or the enclosure that ensures they will not wander out of the shepherd's care.  The shepherd must also enter through the gate (Jesus).  Many commentators think that the shepherd is imagery for the leaders of the religious community who were followers of Jesus, rather than the Pharisees who seem to climb into the sheepfold from other directions by thwarting Jesus' message at every turn.  A shepherd or a true Christian leader will come through the gate (Jesus).  A false leader will find another way into the sheepfold (Christian community) and will exist only to do harm.

I think this serves as a warning to us about who to follow and how to determine authentic Christian leadership.  Jesus lived in a time filled with false prophets and teachers who claimed "true" knowledge.  We also live in a time of false prophets.  Those who claim to offer us safety and protection but do not enter through the gate (Jesus) are false prophets. 

In a culture where information can be disseminated in a matter of minutes, there are false prophets everywhere.  We are offered protection by financial advisors who promise to keep our money safe.  We are offered protection by our government who claims to have our best interests at heart.  We are offered protection by our doctors who want to keep us healthy.  We are offered protection by the FDA who promises to keep our food safe for consumption.  In some sense, all of these forms of protection are good, and very necessary.  But, Jesus warns that if we choose to put all of our trust in these forms of protection, we will be disappointed and even harmed.  Only those who enter through Jesus can point us toward abundant life.

This is an important message for me to hear because it reminds me that many of the things I rely on every day are not ultimately going to give me abundant life.  Yes, antibiotics from my doctor may save me from a life-threatening infection, and wearing my seatbelt will save me from a fatal collision but if these are the things that I put all my trust in, I will never have abundant life.  I will simply be living from one contained fear to another.  It doesn't mean I should cease to do things that make good common sense (like wearing a seat belt or consulting a doctor), but it does mean that these things cannot give abundant life.

This scripture gives me pause to think about the people and things that I trust.  Where have you put your trust?  Who is your shepherd?  What gates have you entered?